The present invention relates to a device for monitoring the normal operation of an apparatus for detecting a physical characteristic of chicken eggs, and more particularly to a device for monitoring the normal operation of a weighing apparatus, a cracked-egg detecting apparatus, and a bloodspotted-egg detecting apparatus.
To grade eggs according to, for example, various weight ranges (sizes), including LL, L, M, MS, S, SS, and irregular size, which constitute one of their physical characteristics, it is necessary to detect the weight of the respective eggs. A conventional egg grading apparatus is arranged such that a comparator compares data on individual egg weight obtained from a weighing instrument with boundary value settings of a boundary-egg-weight setting device so as to determine sizes of the respective eggs, and the eggs whose sizes have been thus determined are distributed and conveyed to predetermined collection sites. In such a conventional grading apparatus, the monitoring of the data from the weighing instrument is effected only to such an extent that in a case where egg weight data which is nonexistent as an egg, e.g., 1 kg or the like, has been received by the comparator, an error signal is outputted instead of a size signal.
In such monitoring, when the weighing instrument is abnormal and even if the egg weight is measured to be 2 g heavier than a proper value, the weighing instrument is not determined to be abnormal unless the egg weight is received as egg weight data which is nonexistent as an egg, as described above.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described circumstances, and its object is to provide a normal-operation monitoring device which makes it possible to easily estimate whether a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus is operating normally.
A device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs in accordance with the present invention is a device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs which is used in an apparatus for grading chicken eggs, comprising: judging means for monitoring the normal and abnormal operation of the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus depending on whether or not information detected by the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus or determination information obtained by making a determination on the information indicates a predetermined state; and judgement-result outputting means for outputting a result of judgement by the judging means.
In addition, a device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs in accordance with the present invention is a device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs for detecting a physical characteristic of chicken eggs which are conveyed orderly in a multiple-row arrangement, comprising: storage means for storing information detected by the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus or determination information obtained by making a determination on the information; judging means for monitoring the normal and abnormal operation of the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus by making a comparison between groups of information for respective rows or groups of determination information for the respective rows stored in the storage means; and judgement-result outputting means for outputting a result of judgement by the judging means.
The judging means is so arranged to make a comparison between numerical values, such as average values, standard deviations, and the like, of the groups of information for the respective rows detected for a predetermined period of time by the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus or the groups of determination information for the respective rows obtained by making a determination on the information for the respective rows.
Information on the result of determination outputted by the judgement-result outputting means is arranged to include the probability of being abnormal.
In accordance with the present invention, in the device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs, the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus is a weighing apparatus.
In addition, in accordance with the present invention, in the device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs, the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus is a cracked-egg detecting apparatus for detecting cracks in the chicken eggs.
Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, in the device for monitoring the normal operation of a physical-characteristic detecting apparatus for chicken eggs, the physical-characteristic detecting apparatus is a bloodspotted-egg detecting apparatus for detecting eggs contaminated with blood.